System and method for providing a dynamic advertising content window within a windows based content manifestation environment provided in a browser

ABSTRACT

System and method for providing a dynamic advertising content manifestation window within a windows based content manifestation environment provided within a web browser. The system and method include and involve an server system configured to transmit a software system and data related to a advertising content source via an electronic data network. Also included and involved is a web browser client operating within a data processing system that is coupled to the server system via the electronic data network. The web browser provides a content manifestation environment. The web browser client is operative to receive the software system and the data via the server system, to process the software system and the data to produce a window object within the content manifestation environment provided by the web browser client. The window object is configured to dynamically manifest therein advertising content received from the advertising content source in accordance with the data. Also disclosed is a window object that is manifested within a windows based content manifestation environment which is provided within a web browser client. The window object includes a content manifestation area that is configured to dynamically manifest advertising content received from an advertising content source via an electronic data network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to systems and methods that areused to distribute and manifest content such as advertising contentreceived via the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW). More particularly,the present invention relates to the dynamic manifestation ofadvertising content within a window object maintained within a WWWbrowser environment.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] The Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) have significantlyimpacted the way people receive information, purchase goods andservices, and generally communicate. The Internet and WWW havefacilitated whole content delivery industries that provideup-to-the-minute delivery (and sale) of information such as news,weather, sports scores, horoscopes, stock and securities information,advertising, etc. Many companies have recognized the great “gold-rush”nature of the Internet and have been quick to establish web-sites wherepeople (a.k.a. “network surfers”) can visit to purchase books online, toreceive specialized content such as investment and other reports, and tosubscribe to content delivery services such as “electronic” newspapersand magazines. Despite the widespread use and acceptance of the Internetand the WWW, many industry analysts and insiders insist that our societyhas only begun to realize the advantages of publicly accessible networktechnologies and predict that our lives will only be further impacted byincreased uses of the “Net.”

[0005] Many companies have been quick to adopt the Internet and WWW asfertile ground to sell goods and services to network users. For example,many companies place “banner advertisements” on web pages to enticenetwork users to purchase related goods and services. In many cases,such banner ads are simple rectangular screen objects (e.g., one thathas dimensions of 468 picture elements (pixels) by 60 pixels as definedby the IAB banner ad standards) that contain text or graphics and,possibly, animated graphics that are loaded or pushed to a networkuser's web browser for loading and static display thereby. Additionally,JAVA based banner ads have been used to enhance advertising content.Once loaded, however, such advertising banners will appear on a networkuser's screen and, in particular, within a content manifestationenvironment maintained by a running WWW browser software package so longas the user remains on or at a particular web site. And, since bannerads are loaded as screen objects within a web site window, they remainstatic until either a new web site is loaded or a browserre-load/refresh operation occurs at the behest of the network user.

[0006] Banner ads often are associated with hypertext links that allow anetwork user to surf to an advertiser's or sponsor's web site to receiveadditional information about advertised goods and services. For example,many online brokerages houses (e.g., www.etrade.com) sponsor banner adssuch as at YAHOO.COM's financial web site to entice network users and,especially, those interested in stocks, bonds, and securities to surf toa particular web site to become online securities traders (andcustomers). Despite their static nature, banner ads have proven to bequite effective at routing traffic to advertiser's web sites to promotethe sale of goods and services online. In fact, banner ads asadvertising and marketing tools have driven wide use and development ofthe Internet and WWW as a place for commerce. In fact, advertising viabanner ads continues to be one of very few profitable ways to entice andengage in electronic commerce.

[0007] Despite their widespread use as tools to drive electroniccommerce on the Internet and WWW, banner ads and other similaradvertising and marketing mechanisms are not without their problems. Forexample, in addition to the fact that banner ads are staticallydisplayed once loaded by a web browser, banner ads and other similarmarketing tools do not allow different and dynamic marketing content tobe displayed within a browser window. That is, a banner ad usuallycontains mere graphic image(s) (e.g., one that may contain animatedgraphics) which is associated with a single hypertext link(“hyperlink”). Such a banner ad cannot dynamically display content suchas marketing and advertising content that is to be received via anetwork connection after an initial container web site page load.

[0008] Furthermore, in addition to the technical infirmities associatedwith modern banner ads, the same do not facilitate dynamic, richadvertising that network users have become used to in other media forumsand which can deliver the most “bang for the buck” in terms of providingthe highest possible sales return related to a particular marketing andpromotion investment. For example, current banner ads do not come closeto the richness of television or radio advertisements that allow fullmotion video, audio, etc. Accordingly, although network bandwidthcapabilities do not currently allow the push of content like televisionads, that same bandwidth is not being effectively deployed to facilitatericher, more effective network advertising.

[0009] Thus, there exists a need to provide new and improved systems andmethods to facilitate dynamic display of advertising and marketingcontent. Such systems and methods must allow effective and efficientdeployment of advertising banners and corresponding content streamswithout requiring Internet and WWW infrastructures and standards tochange. And, to be viable, network users must be able to receive new andimproved advertising and marketing content that facilitate greater salesin relation to spent advertising dollars.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention solves the above-described problemsassociated with providing advertising and marketing content to networkusers. In particular, the present invention provides new systems,structures, and related methods that facilitate the generation of windowmodules that are dedicated to facilitating dynamic display ofadvertising and marketing content. Such new and improved systems andmethods now allow network users to receive richer advertising content incontrast to currently available static banner ads. Such richeradvertising content will allow advertisers to more effectively competeto sell more goods and services. And, since richer advertising contentnow may be manifested, a greater number of advertisers will be able toview the Internet and WWW as viable areas for marketing and commerce.And, since the present invention does not require changes to existingnetwork architectures and will be readily applicable to new technologiesto come, network users and advertisers alike will benefit from richercontent manifestation.

[0011] Accordingly, provided is a system and method for providing adynamic advertising content window within a windows based contentmanifestation environment provided within a web browser. The system andmethod include and involve a server system configured to transmit asoftware system and data related to a advertising content source via anelectronic data network. Also included and involved is a web browserclient operating within a data processing system that is coupled to theserver system via the electronic data network. The web browser providesa content manifestation environment. The web browser client is operativeto receive the software system and the data via the server system, toprocess the software system and the data to produce a window objectwithin the content manifestation environment provided by the web browserclient. The window object is configured to dynamically manifest thereinadvertising content received from the advertising content source inaccordance with the data. The advertising content source may be theserver system.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, provided isa window object that is manifested within a windows based contentmanifestation environment which is provided within a web browser client.The window object includes a content manifestation area that isconfigured to dynamically manifest advertising content received from anadvertising content source via an electronic data network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The present invention is described in detail below with referenceto the following drawing figures, of which:

[0014]FIG. 1 is a screen image that depicts structural aspects of thepresent invention and, in particular, a window module configured todynamically manifest advertising and marketing content therein within awindows based content manifestation environment provided in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computing environment in which aclient computing system is coupled to a server system and which isconfigured to run a WWW browser client which manifests a window modulethat can dynamically manifest advertising and marketing content inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 3A is a flowchart that illustrates a process for generatingan advertising window module and for dynamically manifesting advertisingand marketing content therein in accordance with a preferred embodimentof the present invention; and

[0017]FIG. 3B is the conclusion of the flowchart started in FIG. 3A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The present invention is now discussed in detail with referenceto the drawing figures that were briefly described above. Unlessotherwise specified, like parts, systems, and processes are referred towith like reference numerals.

Glossary

[0019] The following terms may be used within the instant patentdocument to illustrate and define the novel features of the presentinvention. Accordingly, reference should be had to this Glossary fordefinitions of terms that are used to provide enabling disclosurerelated to the present invention's systems and methods for facilitatinga windows based content manifestation environment within a WWW browserand a dedicated advertising content window module therein.

[0020] The terms that are capitalized below bear the following meanings.

[0021] Content is any form of digital data stream that may be suppliedor sent to a computing system such as a personal computer. In thecontext of the present invention, content includes advertisinginformation that may take the form of a data stream of video, audio,etc. Any media format that may be used to deliver active, dynamiccontent to a computer screen and other peripheral devices (e.g., soundsystems, etc.) may be considered content in the context of the presentinvention.

[0022] The WWW is the world wide web and its associated protocols andrelated technologies which may be accessed via the Internet.

[0023] A WWW browser client is a software application that is operativeto receive and process content to produce a corresponding output (e.g.,to manifest text and images within a browser window displayed on amonitor device, etc.).

[0024] An Electronic Data Network is any type of network environmentfrom which at least one coupled computer or computing system isconfigured to receive content such as HTML and related WWW content andto process the same to produce an appropriate output. An exemplaryelectronic data network is the Internet along with the WWW.

[0025] A window object is a Module or a Layer.

[0026] A Layer is a WWW browser content display section produced withina content manifestation environment (CME) including, but not limited to,any object within an HTML document that may be scaled, dragged, orotherwise operated upon such as an IMG object, a SPAN object, a DIVobject, a form element, etc. and which may be associated with programlogic such as within a script, etc. A layer has its own propertiesincluding, but not limited to, a name, etc. within an HTML renditionmodel such as those defined by DHTML standards. Additionally, a layeracts independently of other content within a particular HTML document.

[0027] A CME is a controllable WWW browser content display windowprovided by a WWW browser. For example, a CME is viewed as a dynamicwindow in which WWW content is normally displayed.

[0028] A Module (also referred to herein as a Window Module) is a layerhaving (1) a control section, and (2) a related content display sectionwhich may be manifested within a CME. A module may be recursivelyreferenced in that a particular module provided in accordance with thepresent invention may include other modules. In other words, the presentinvention makes it possible to have window objects within windowobjects. The control section of a module may contain a name associatedwith the module, one or more module sizing icons, etc.

[0029] A DMOD is a draggable module much like a draggable type windowprovided within an operating system environment.

[0030] A TMOD is a tiled module much like a tiled type window providedwithin an operating system environment.

[0031] A Fixed Screen Region or FSR is an area of a screen environmentsuch as within a CME in which content may flow based on Moduleoperations, Java applet control, etc.

[0032] A Fixed Layer or FL is a layer having the same behavior as a FSR.

[0033] A Content Manifestation Layer or CML is a pop-up type layer muchlike a pop-up dialog box that can manifest content based on operationsoccurring within a Module (e.g., hyper-link traversal and/or occurrenceof another event, etc.).

[0034] Module Controls or MCs control objects such as objects associatedwith screen icons that react to events (e.g., mouse clicks, mouse-overs,double-clicks, etc.) and which control attributes of a module (e.g.,minimization, maximization, closure, resizing, etc.). The iconsassociated with such control objects will appear in a control section ofa module.

[0035] The terms “dynamic manifestation” and “dynamic display” refer tothe rendition of content such as advertising and marketing contentreceived via an electronic data network such as the Internet and WWWwithin a window module provided in accordance with the presentinvention. For example, dynamic manifestation includes the display of afull motion video stream received from an ad content source (VRL) withina window module in accordance with the present invention.

[0036] The aforementioned and defined terms may be made plural in thetext found below (e.g., “DMODs”). Such terms may only be referred to indocumentation incorporated by reference herein.

[0037] A Windows Based Content Manifestation Environment (CME)

[0038] The present invention utilizes technology which has beendescribed and disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/xxx,xxx filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Jan. 21,1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Structural Aspects of the Present Invention

[0039] Referring now to FIG. 1, depicted therein is a screen image thatillustrates structural aspects of the present invention and, inparticular, a window module configured to dynamically manifestadvertising and marketing content therein within a windows based contentmanifestation environment provided in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

[0040] In particular, screen image 100 depicts a WWW browser client CME101 that has been instructed in accordance with the present invention tomanifest a windows based environment in which content may displayed orotherwise manifested in window modules provided in accordance with thepresent invention. Such window modules may be generated and manipulatedin accordance with the structural and functional aspects defined in theabove referenced co-pending U.S. patent application.

[0041] In CME 101, a series of window modules 102, 104, 106, 108, 110,and 112 in the form of DMODs have been provided to facilitatemanifestation of content such as news, email, chat, search, etc. Thecreation of such window modules will be readily apparent after reviewingthe above-referenced co-pending U.S. patent application.

[0042] In CME 101, a special window module 114 has been provided in theform of a DMOD to facilitate dynamic manifestation of advertising andmarketing content that may be received by a WWW browser client (runningon a personal data processing system, for example) via a networkconnection, etc. Window module 114 has been defined to have a controlsection that includes a title (e.g., “SPONSORS”) and a set of controlicons. Such structural aspects along with their correspondingoperational features related to window module 114 are fully described inthe above-referenced co-pending U.S. patent application.

[0043] The content that may be manifested within window module 114 mayinclude any type of content including live video streams, audio feeds,etc. Such content is manifested, for example, in a manifestation area116 of window module 114.

[0044] Unlike banner advertisements, window module 114 may be used tomanifest advertising and marketing content in a dynamic way and,possibly, from a variety of advertising content sources each having anassociated uniform resource locator (URL). Accordingly, so long as anetwork user remains at a particular web site (e.g., one that providesfor a windows based content manifestationenvironment—WWW.WINDOWSWEBSITE.COM) and/or just a dynamic ad window inaccordance with the present invention, a dynamic advertising contentwindow may be displayed to manifest advertising content such as from avariety of advertisers and sponsors, etc.

[0045] As the present invention now provides a dynamic web basedadvertising vehicle that is different from the use of conventionalbanner advertisements, a whole new way of generating advertising revenueis realized. That is, in contrast to conventional banner advertisementrevenue paradigms that call for cost per impression pricing, the presentinvention and its provision of a dynamic advertising content window nowallow for the generation of advertising revenue according to paradigmsused for television and other media forums. For example, advertisers whowould normally pay for banner advertisement impressions may now placeads that are rich in content and that exist for periods of time muchlike television commercials and the like. Accordingly, advertising andmarketing firms may now derive advertising revenue for “air time” ofparticular dynamic content advertisements.

[0046] Referring now to FIG. 2, depicted therein is a is a block diagramof a computing environment in which a client computing system is coupledto a server system and which is configured to run a WWW browser clientthat manifests a window module that can dynamically manifest advertisingand marketing content in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0047] In environment 200, a client computing system such as a personaldata processing system or computer 202 is coupled to a server system 210via an electronic data network such as the Internet and WWW, an intranetor other network computing environment. The dashed line separatingclient data processing system 202 and server system 210 is intended tomerely illustrate the transmission of data from a server type dataprocessing system and the receipt of that data by a client type dataprocessing system.

[0048] Server data processing system 210 is coupled directly orindirectly (e.g., via a network connection) to advertising and marketingcontent sources 212 through 214. Such sources may be computing platformsand networks that serve advertising content upon request for the samefrom a WWW browser client in accordance with the present invention. Forexample, an ad content source like or similar to ad content source 212may serve a video stream that will appear as a full motion video andaudio commercial (e.g., much like a television commercial) within anadvertising content window provided within a WWW browser CME inaccordance with the present invention.

[0049] Client data processing system 202 includes a data storagefacility 204, a processor arrangement having one or more processingunits, and input/output facilities to facilitate network communicationssuch as TCP/IP protocol based communications (e.g., a modem, a networkinterface card, etc.). Input/ouput facilities 208 also include contentmanifestation peripherals including, but not limited to, a monitor forvisual display, a set of speakers for audible manifestation, a printerfor hard-copy output, etc. The structural arrangement of the componentparts of client data processing system 202 will be immediatelyunderstood by those skilled in the art of computer design.

[0050] Data storage facility 204 (e.g., local hard disk drives, etc.)store a network client and/or WWW browser client softwarepackage/application that may be executed within client data processingsystem. Such a network client/WWW browser client softwarepackage/application may be the INTERNET EXPLORER™ version 4.x which ismanufactured and marketed by MICROSOFT CORPORATION. Such a networkclient/WWW browser client software package/application will beinstructed in accordance with a software system received from serversystem 210 to facilitate a windows based content manifestationenvironment within a WWW browser type content manifestation environmentwindow. Additionally, such a network client/WWW browser client softwarepackage/application will receive data related to at least oneadvertising and marketing content source from sever data processingsystem 210 (e.g., at least one URL which points to ad content sourcessuch as ad content sources 212 through 214). Alternatively, such datareceived from SUR system 210 may include ad content.

Operational Aspects of the Present Invention

[0051] Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, depicted therein is a flowchartthat illustrates a process for generating an advertising window modulewithin a WW browser and for dynamically manifesting advertising andmarketing content therein in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0052] In particular, processing and operations start at step S3-1 andimmediately proceed to step S3-2. At step S3-2 a client data processingsystem loads and runs a WWW browser client software package/applicationor other network client.

[0053] Next, at step S3-3, a network connection is initiated by theclient data processing system (e.g., a dial-up networking connection viaa modem, etc.).

[0054] Next, at step S3-4, a network user causes the running WWW browseror other network client to access a URL or a windows based web site(e.g., URL—www.windows website.com and one that points to server sidesystems).

[0055] Next, at step S3-5, a software system is downloaded from serverside systems to the client data processing system. Such a softwaresystem facilitates a windows based CME within a WWW browser and isdiscussed in detail in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/xxx,xxxx which has been incorporated herein by reference.

[0056] Next, at step S3-6, the downloaded software system causes the WWWbrowser client to manifest a windows based web site in a browser CME.

[0057] Processing and operations proceed at the top of FIG. 3B to whichreference is now made.

[0058] At step S3-7, at least one window module object (e.g., windowmodule 114) is generated within a WWW browser client CME and isspecified as an advertising, marketing, and sponsor type window modulein which advertising content may be dynamically manifested in accordancewith the present invention.

[0059] Next, at step S3-8, the ad/sponsor window module may dynamicallymanifest an ad content stream received from an ad content source. And,there may be subsequent server queries on a continuous basis, forexample, to facilitate the manifestation of different and multiplecommercials from various sponsors while a windows based website isviewable in the WWW browser CME.

[0060] Processing and operations end at step S3-9.

[0061] It should be noted that although a singular advertising contentwindow has been shown and described relative to a WWW browser CME, thepresent invention is not so limited. To the contrary any number of adwindow modules may be deployed to dynamically manifest advertisingcontent.

[0062] Furthermore, although the present invention certainlycontemplates generation of one or more advertising content windowmodules within a windows based CME of a WWW browser client, the presentinvention is not so limited. In fact, the present invention alsocontemplates the use of the disclosed technologies on conventional typeweb sites to offer any number of windows-like dynamic advertisingcontent manifestation. Such technologies will now allow web siteproviders to offer richer content manifestation environments.

[0063] The present invention now provides a new way of generating onlinebased advertising revenue. That is, in addition to simple banner adimpression revenue, advertisers and advertising entities may now chargefor advertising content display much like the way television ads arecharged. In particular, advertisers and advertising entities may nowcharge for timed “spots” such as thirty second ads during certain timeperiods (e.g., a thirty second spot during a peak network use periodwhen most relevant consumers are visiting a particular web site, etc.).

[0064] Thus, having fully described the present invention by way ofexample with reference to attached drawing figures, it will be readilyappreciated that many changes and modifications may be made to theinvention and to any of the exemplary embodiments shown and/or describedherein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention,which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for providing a dynamic advertisingcontent window within a windows based content manifestation environmentprovided within a web browser, comprising: a server system configured totransmit a software system and data related to a advertising contentsource via an electronic data network; and a web browser clientoperating within a data processing system that is coupled to said serversystem via the electronic data network and having a contentmanifestation environment, said web browser client operative to receivesaid software system and said data via said server system, to processsaid software system and said data to produce a window object withinsaid content manifestation environment of said web browser client, saidwindow object configured to dynamically manifest therein advertisingcontent received from said advertising content source in accordance withsaid data.
 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said softwaresystem includes instructions related to the size and placement of saidwindow object within said content manifestation environment.
 3. Thesystem according to claim 1, wherein said advertising content sourceincludes full motion video content;
 4. The system according to claim 1,wherein said advertising content source includes an audio feed.
 5. Thesystem according to claim 1, wherein said electronic data network is theInternet and WWW.
 6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said webbrowser client accesses said advertising content source to receiveadvertising content to be dynamically manifested within said windowobject.
 7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said web browserclient accesses said advertising content source more than one time toreceive corresponding different content to be dynamically manifestedwithin said window object.
 8. The system according to claim 1, whereinsaid software system further includes instructions to be processed bysaid web browser client to generate additional window objects related toother content streams, said window object being viewable within saidcontent manifestation environment regardless of any manifestation ofsaid other content streams within said additional window objects.
 9. Awindow object manifested within a windows based content manifestationenvironment provided within a web browser client, comprising: a contentmanifestation area configured to dynamically manifest advertisingcontent received from an advertising content source via an electronicdata network.
 10. The window object according to claim 9, wherein saidcontent manifestation area is configured to dynamically receive contentfrom at least one advertising content source.
 11. The window objectaccording to claim 9, wherein said content manifestation area isconfigured to continuously receive and manifest a content stream. 12.The window object according to claim 9, wherein said contentmanifestation area is moveable and draggable within a contentmanifestation environment provided by a WWW browser.
 13. The windowobject according to claim 9, wherein said content manifestation areacorresponds to a section of a screen within a content manifestationenvironment provided by a WWW browser.
 14. A method for providing adynamic advertising content window within a windows based contentmanifestation environment provided within a web browser, comprising thefollowing steps: from a server system, transmitting a software systemand data related to an advertising content source via an electronic datanetwork; at a web browser client operating within a data processingsystem that is coupled to said server system via the electronic datanetwork, receiving said software system; processing said software systemand said data to produce a window object within a content manifestationenvironment provided by said web browser; and dynamically manifestingsaid advertising content within said window object in accordance withsaid data.
 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said softwaresystem includes instructions related to the size and placement of saidwindow object within said content manifestation environment.
 16. Themethod according to claim 14, wherein said data relates to a full motionvideo content source.
 17. The method according to claim 14, wherein saiddata relates to an audio feed.
 18. The method according to claim 14,wherein said electronic data network is the Internet and WWW.
 19. Themethod according to claim 14, wherein said web browser client accessessaid advertising content source in accordance with said data to receiveadvertising content to be dynamically manifested within said windowobject.
 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said web browserclient accesses said advertising content source in accordance with saiddata more than one time to receive corresponding different content to bedynamically manifested within said window object.
 21. The methodaccording to claim 14, wherein said software system further includesinstructions to be processed by said web browser client to generateadditional window objects related to other content streams, said windowobject being viewable within said content manifestation environmentregardless of any manifestation of said other content streams withinsaid additional window objects.
 22. The method according to claim 14,wherein said data includes at least one uniform resource locator (URL)corresponding to said advertising content source.